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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a talk at the Saturday afternoon session of the October 2013 General Conference that resonated with many struggling with psychiatric and psychological disorders. He specifically addressed Major Depressive Disorder but his words are broadly applicable. As someone with a PhD in clinical psychology, I appreciated his message of hope and love to those who struggle. While my interests and specialties are in understanding and helping those with neurological disorders, I have experience and training in helping people who struggle with depression, anxiety, ADHD, addictions, and other emotional and mental disorders. Thus I can say as a professional that Elder Holland nailed the issue of mental and emotional disorders right on the head.

In the past, many church leaders and members had unflattering views of psychological and psychiatric treatment; frankly, much of it was deserved. Diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders in the past was mediocre to harmful in the past. We have come a long way. Most of this improvement in the fields of psychiatry and psychology has come in the past 30 years, with broader improvements in public understanding over the past 15-20 years.

The good news is that psychological and psychiatric treatment for depression and anxiety is highly effective (in general, effectiveness for individuals will vary). Around 70% of individuals will respond well to a combination of medication and “talk therapy”. That is not comforting for those who do not respond but there is always room for hope. You can find out more about depression and validated treatment by reading this information from the National Institute of Mental Health: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml

If you missed Elder Holland’s talk, you can watch it below. If you didn’t miss it, it is well worth your time to watch it again. I’ll write more on this topic soon. If you have any questions about psychological, psychiatric, or neurological disorders, I’ll be happy to try to answer your questions. If you are struggling with depression or anxiety or some other similar (or more severe) challenge, seek help from a competent professional in conjunction with seeking help from the Lord.